Veils, Masks
by mindprisoner
Summary: Nick's wedding was little more than a selfish, jealous show of power from Commander Waterford.


Nick had bitten his cheek hard enough to bleed during his wedding. As soon as he cracked open the box wide enough to see the ring; his heart stopped. When the brides, the girls, the _children_ walked in, his legs threatened to fail him. And when he lifted up her veil and looked at his new wife, he bit down to suppress a scream.

He tasted blood all night, savoring the burn of the Commander's scotch in his mouth.

In the Commander's office, Nick faked smile after smile, the very picture of a good Christian man and discussed meaningless rhetoric with Commander Waterford. He had almost forgotten about the inevitable that would occur later in the evening underneath such irrelevant topics such as the recent import of tequila, the Mexican negotiations had gone well, perhaps pineapples would be available in the next few months, nothing really like a nice, sweet pineapple on a hot summer's day, is there, Nick?

Commander Waterford began to slowly push both of them towards the office door a little after ten. Electricity was expensive, for one, and there was work to do in the morning. "Nick, I believe you'll enjoy the married life," he stated, having grown tired of small talk and the alcoholic heaviness in his eyes.

Nick smiled back, perfectly still. He had listened intently to each and every word his Commander had said in his presence over the last six years of serving him. At first, it was just to report back to Commander Pryce and maybe gain a promotion. Once the first two years had passed, Gilead established and the American Government all but destroyed, it became clear that Pryce didn't want to put in the effort to find a replacement for him, the ever loyal Nick Blaine.

Nick had listened for his own benefit from then, gaining Commander Waterford's trust by remembering the tiniest details and acting on them later, memorizing the layout of the city and the names and locations of the most powerful men in Gilead. Nick learned to recognize tiny changes in the Commander's tone, the slight warble of exhaustion, the pitch drop of fury, the drawl of arrogance.

Commander Waterford had held out the vowels in 'believe' fractions of a second longer than normal. Nick wasn't stupid; he had known that it took his Commander's meddling to finally arrange for him to get a promotion. For it to occur less than a week after Offred had been captured and returned was no coincidence. It was a message, a warning. _Stay away from her_.

Commander Waterford was marking his territory, reminding Nick that he was beneath him. "Thank you, sir," Nick replied quickly and easily. Not a single wasted second to think about his response. "I never would've been so blessed without your support and the opportunities you've given me." Nick watched the Commander's eyes narrow in a small twitch of a motion he would've missed if he hadn't been running on pure adrenaline.

He knew Commander Waterford knew that Offred's child wasn't his own. It was obvious he had put two and two together from the first time that he tensed his shoulders when talking to Nick. "May God bless your union and your new family. I'd toast to that if I hadn't already finished my scotch." Commander Waterford chuckled. "Maybe someday you'll be a Commander, yourself. But for now, you'll have to settle for being the commander of your wife."

"I intend to treat her as best as I can, sir." Nick glanced from the Commander's dark eyes to his thin smile. If he hadn't known better, Nick would believe it was genuine.

"And, once you're a Commander, you can fuck your own whore of a handmaid." Commander Waterford opened the door to his office. The house was dim; only a light from the kitchen shone down the hall. Rita's heavy knife rhythmically tapped as she chopped vegetables for tomorrow's breakfast. Omelets, Nick thought. Offred had come back from her last shopping with more eggs than usual.

The Commander lowered his voice, as if he was afraid Rita would overhear. "How devastated would your new wife be if she knew? Such a lovely girl, she is. Why, I think her small heart might not survive the shock. Eden, spoiled by sin, by you and your lust. It's quite Biblical, really. Proof of a God that demands penance."

Nick clenched his fists against shaking hands. The malice dripping from the Commander's words left a cold void in Nick's stomach. "I'm sure she'll prove to be a loyal wife, sir," Nick said. He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat.

"Blessed be the fruit, Nick," Commander Waterford sneered, leading him out of his office with a hand on his shoulder.


End file.
